The Blazers had just won a division title last year, but failed to make the playoffs in the first year of the Berks Wrestling League’s four-division alignment.

After the Blazers and Scouts both defeated Exeter earlier this season, it was apparent the winner of Wednesday’s showdown would make the playoffs.

“This was their goal for the year,” Daniel Boone coach Matt Palmer said. “We knew it was going to come down to Weiser and we knew it was going to be close. It always is.”

The Scouts defeated the Blazers by one point a month earlier in the Conrad Weiser Duals. But this time, Conrad Weiser was without a 125-pounder and had to forfeit the first bout to fall into a 6-0 hole.

Undaunted, the Scouts came back to win six of the next seven bouts to open a 26-10 lead on Adam Polynone’s 43-second fall at 171. Ryan McClafferty also had a fall during the stretch in which Daniel Boone managed just four points on a major decision by Francis Healy at 145.

Included in Conrad Weiser’s run was a 4-2 decision at 160 by Ryan Bachman, who made his return to the mat after being injured in a car accident prior to the season.

With their big guns lined up, Daniel Boone wiped out all but one point of the Scouts lead in three bouts.

Tim Hessels scored a fall at 189 and Josh Sherriff, the Berks County 189-pound champ, moved up to 215 to score a 6-0 decision.

After 285-pound Berks champ Tyler Swartz received a forfeit, Conrad Weiser’s lead was just 26-25 with three bouts left.

Eddie Lockowitz put the Blazers ahead with a 3-0 decision at 103 before Nathan McClafferty regained the lead for Conrad Weiser with a 5-0 decision at 112.

That set the stage for Mitchell, who was paired against Jose Ortiz, who entered with a 3-15 record.

Mitchell scored a quick takedown and earned the fall that allowed him to stand tall among his bigger, more accomplished teammates.

“I was feeling pretty confident going into that matchup with the way the point spread was,” Palmer said. “He’s (Mitchell) taken a beating all year. That’s a great win for him.”